Ball retarder



Feb. 14, 1967 R, M. CONKLIN 3,304,088

BALL RETARDER Filed June 22,- 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i E al J; I g i ms} Q I .i. T A "'3 O INVENTOR. ROBEQT M. CONKLlN WW flZMd/MWZW United States Patent 3,304,088 BALL RETARDER Robert M. Conklin, Muskegon, Mich, assignor to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,797 8 Claims. (Cl. 273--47) This invention relates to ball return systems and more particularly, to a bowling ball retarder for use in cooperation with a bowling ball return track system.

In present day bowling establishments, it has been found desirable to return the bowling ball from the pit end of a bowling lane to the bowler in the least amount of time possible. Thus, it has been proposed to accelerate the ball near the pit end of the bowling lane to diminish the time required to traverse the distance. However, it is then desirable that the speed of the bowling ball be reduced as the ball approaches the ball storage area at the bowlers end of the bowling lane so that there is no danger of injury to bowlers, to the bowling ball, or to storage facilities. some form of mechanism to reduce the speed of the bowling ball just prior to the storage rack without marking, scuffing, or scarring the ball in an undesirable manner. Inasmuch as the bowling balls may vary widely in weight, the decelerating mechanism at the bowlers end of the lane is preferably designed to absorb more energy from the heavier ball than from the lighter ball so that balls of different weights will all enter the storage facilities at generally the same reduced rate of speed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ball retarder which reduces the speed of a ball traveling on a ball return track system without marking or scuffing the ball, and which may be utilized with existing bowling ball return track systems, either above the lane or below without drastically modifying the lane construction.

Another object is to provide a new and improved ball retarder including a pair of ball supporting rails with resilient material between and below the rails engageable with lower portions of a rolling ball on the rails and deformable thereby to retard the ball.

A more specific object is to provide a new and improved ball retarder for use in series with a return track and having a pair of spaced carpet covered rails for engaging the ball periphery at more widely spaced positions than the ball return track to thereby convert a part of the balls translational speed to rotational speed, the ball retarder also including a resilient and deformable pad disposed below and between the ball-engaging portions of the carpet covered rails for applying diiferent degrees of resistance to balls of different weights.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a represents a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a surface ball return track system including a bowling lane pit area;

FIG. lb represents another portion of the ball return track system including a combined ball return riser and ball retarder adjacent the ball storage area and embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the riser and ball retarder portions of the return track system shown in FIG. 1b;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 33 of FIG. lb; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1b.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail ice herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the invention is used in an environment including a pair of adjacent bowling lanes, each lane including substantially conventional gutters at opposite longitudinal sides thereof, porual side-by-side laminations (not shown) suitably secured Accordingly, it is desirable to provide together to provide a smooth upper surface along which a ball may be rolled. Each of the lanes 14, its gutters and the ball return system are supported in place above a foundation or base 16 of concrete or other suitable material by means of what might be termed an intermediary su'bfloor including parallel longitudinal stringers as at 18 resting on base 16 and transverse leveling strips 20* mounted on stringers 18, a sheet as at 22 also being interposed between leveling strips 20 and each lane 14 including its adjacent gutters.

Each lane terminates at the rear end of an installation in a surface or pin deck 24 adapted to support a complement of pins, set either by hand or by automatic pinsetter, and beyond the end of the pin deck 24 is a conventional pit as at 25' into which a bowling ball and fallen pins may drop. Outside and parallel to the gutters at the rear end of each lane are a pair of kickbacks, one being shown at 28, lying in a generally vertical plane. It is contemplated that the rear end 30 of a ball return track would usually rise above the kickback 28 where balls are accelerated, by means not shown, toward the bowlers end of the lane. Near the bowlers end of the lane a returning ball engages a combined ball return riser and ball retarder shown generally at 32 which elevates and decelerates the ball for deposit at a reduced speed into a ball storage rack shown partially at 34. It will be understood that although the riser and ball retarder apparatus are shown as an integral unit, each of the raising and retarding functions may be accomplished separately by different and spaced-apart structures.

The major portion of the return track lying between the front and rear end of an installation, seen in cross section in FIG. 3, is shown here as being of a surface return or exposed track return wherein the ball is within the vie-w of a lbowler during its travel from the kickback ing strips 20 as by fasteners 42. Extending longitudinally along each upper and outer edge of support means 4t) are a pair of identical return track supports 44 which serve both to assist in holding down gutters 10 and 12 and to support a pair of elongate and longitudinally extending tracks 50 and 52. Each of the tracks 50 and 52 comprise a lower and inner rail as at 54 for supporting one side of a bowling ball, and an upper and outer ballretaining guard portion 56.

As can be best seen in FIG. 1b, tracks 50 and 52 lead into the combined riser and ball retarder apparatu 32, a plan view of which is shown in FIG. 2 and a cross sectional view of which is shown in FIG. 4. Inasmuch as the ball riser feature of the structure 32 principally involves designing and supporting the retarder in an upwardly and forwardly inclined and curved configuration,

3 construction details will be described principally with the retarder feature in mind. I w

Track rails 54 deliver the balls onto a pair of ball supporting rail asssemblies 60 of the retarders, as best illustrated in cross section in FIG. 4. As shown, each of the rail assemblies 69 comprises an elongate cast rail member 62 having bonded thereto a carpet-like material as at 64, member 62 being attached to an upright frame 66 of the ball lift structure as by a plurality of transverse screws 68 and 70 which are screwed into common fasteners as at 72. The lower end of the ball lift structure is fastened to the floor by means not shown, and the frames 66 are constrained against movement toward each other at their upper ends under the compression of screws 68 and 70 by means of a plurality of spacer members 74. Each rail member 62 is designed to support the material 64 at a small angle extending upwardly and outw'ardly from the vertical when viewed in cross section.

With this configuration, a ball which is rolling along the rails 54 at a relatively high translational velocity is, in the retarder, translationally decelerated in part by virtue of the greater spread in distance between the, rails 60 which engage the ball at positions closer to its transverse major diameter. It will be understood that, upon moving onto the tracks 60, the tracks will exert a force on the ball opposing its translational momentum at points spaced below the ball center, this force causing a translational deceleration and a rotational acceleration thereby effecting a shift of a substantial portion of the balls translational momentum and energy into rotational momentum and energy.

Inasmuch as the material 64 which contacts the ball in the retarder is of a resilient nature, the ball deforms the material and the contact therebetween covers an appreciable area which necessarily causes a frictional wiping action on the ball as it rotates, thereby tending to absorb its rotational energy.

Mounted generally below and between the ball-engaging portions of the rails 60 are further ball resistive means 80 for further absorbing the momentum of the ball prior to its introduction into the storage facility 34. In general, resistive means 80 comprises an elongate and generally longitudinally extending backing strip 82 fixedly secured by fasteners 84 to the tops of spacers 74, an elongate foam pad 86 of generally rectangular cross section cemented to the top surface of backing strip 82 over its entire length and made preferably of flexible polyether open cell foam, and an elongate strip of carpetlike material 87 stretched over foam pad 86 and secured on either side thereof by an elongate longitudinally extending carpet retaining molding 88 having holes therein to facilitate securing it down as by screws 90 to hold down blocks 92. The spatial relationship between supporting and resistive means 80 is such that a ball moving along the tracks 60 would normally have its lowermost surface depressing the material 87, and to some extent, the foam pad 86.

Because the weight of various bowling balls differs widely, and because all balls are accelerated to generally the same track velocity at the rear end of the lane, the different weight balls possess different amounts of momentum prior to their introduction into the ball retarder. By the structure described hereinbefore, the retarder inherently absorbs more energy from the heavier balls than from the lighter balls thereby permitting introduction of all weight balls into the storage facility 34 at substantially the same rate of speed. For example, a relatively light ball after being guided between the tracks 60 will move along a relatively high trajectory depressing the material 87 and foam 86 therebelow only slightly, and the momentum or energy absorbed by the resistive means 80 will therefore be relatively small. On the other hand, a relatively heavy ball will sink relatively lower between the resistant material 64 on tracks 60, and will therefore depress the materal 87 and foam material 86 to a greater extent It can therefore be seen that the frictional resistance of the resistive means to a heavier ball will be greater than with a lighter ball, and consequently, more energy will be absorbed from the heavier ball allowing it to be introduced into the storage facility at substantially the same speed as the lighter ball.

In a preferred construction of the device, the retarder rails 60 are inclined from the vertical by approximately fifteen degrees, but it will be understood that there may be variations in the degree of inclination within the scope of the invention. In a preferred working embodiment, the carpeting material at 64 and 87 is similar to that sometimes used in bowling lane pits adjacent automatic pinsetters and may include a loop pile, though a cut pile could be used and other forms of carpet material might be usable, as well as other forms of material and carpet, such as some felt materials.

Upon leaving the retarder, the ball rolls down a slight incline forming part of the storage facility, and may be further controlled in its progress by means of a pivotal stop or escapement device 101 of a conventional type, and then continues beyond such device 101 at a very slow rate to a position of rest on the storage facility.

Although the retarder is well adapted for use with a surface ball return track, the principles contained therein may also be used with other forms of tracks including subway return systems which are completely hidden from the bowlers view.

I claim:

1. A device for retarding the progress of a moving bowling ball comprising, in combination: a return track including a pair of elongate and substantially parallel rails, each rail having a wide and generally flat surface, the surfaces of both rails forming an acute included angle in cross section opening upwardly to support and guide said bowling ball therebetween; and resilient cushion means generally below said rails having upper portions engageable with the lower portions of a bowling ball supported by said rails and deformable under the weight of said bowling ball for resisting its progress, said resilient cushion means and said rails being operative to support a light ball at a higher position with respect to said ball engaging surface than a heavier ball whereby a heavier ball will cause a greater deformation of said resilient cushion means and will have a greater frictional contact therewith to have more of its kinetic energy absorbed than a lighter ball.

2. A decelerator for a moving bowling ball comprising: a pair of spaced-apart rails each having portions for supporting a bowling ball rolling thereon, said portions including deformable means to thereby cause a heavy bowling ball to traverse a lower trajectory than a light bowling ball; and other resistive means including a layer of foam material for engaging the bowling ball below said portions and deformable to a greater extent for a heavy bowling ball than for a light bowling ball to aid in causing a heavy bowling ball to transverse a lower trajectory than a light bowling ball whereby a heavy bowling ball will have a greater frictional contact with said deformable means and said material to have more of its kinetic energy absorbed than a light bowling ball.

3. A combined ball return riser and ball retarder for use in a bowling ball return system, comprising: a supporting structure, a pair of elongate and generally parallel rails carried by the supporting structure and having ball supporting portions for supporting and elevating the bowling ball, said portions of both rails diverging upwardly in cross section and having resilient ball-engaging material attached thereto, said material being deformable under the weight of a bowling ball, and elongate resilient energy absorbing pad means mounted on the supporting structure below the ball supporting portions of the rails and in the path of lower portions of a bowling ball carried by said rails, said pad means deforming to a greater extent under a heavy ball than a light ball such that a heavy ball will depress said material more than a light ball whereby the system will absorb more energy from a heavy ball than from a light ball.

4. Return track apparatus for returning a bowling ball from the pit end of a bowling lane, comprising: an elongate track for guiding and supporting a bowling ball at its lowermost portions; and a combined ball return riser and ball retarder at the end of said track and including a pair of elongate rails having portions for supporting lower portions of a bowling ball along laterally wider spaced areas than said track, and resistive means spaced below said rails including a layer of deformable material for providing frictional resistance on the lower portions of said ball and retarding the progress thereof, said material being arranged to at least partially support a bowling ball guided by said rails such that the center of a relatively lighter bowling ball will have a higher attitude with respect to said pair of rails than the center of a relatively heavier bowling ball to thereby impose a greater retarding effect on a heavier ball than a lighter ball.

5. Bowling ball return track apparatus for use in conjunction with a bowling lane, comprising: a generally horizontal and elongate ball return track providing a path over which the bottom portions of a bowling ball may roll; a ball retarder near the end of said track including a pair of horizontally elongate rails having ball-engaging portions spaced apart less than the diameter of a bowling ball and inclined transversely upwardly and outwardly relative to each other for receiving bowling balls therebetween and supporting them on portions more widely spaced than the track supporting portions to reduce the translational velocities of said bowling balls as they leave the return track, said rails having ball-engaging portions covered with a resilient frictional material to permit said bowling balls to travel along different elevational trajectories dependent upon their respective weights, and a deformable foam material between said spaced-apart tracks and a fixed distance therebelow for providing a resistive contact with lower portions of varying weight bowling balls traveling down said rails, said resilient foam material deforming to a greater degree for a heavy ball than a light ball thereby absorbing more energy from a heavy ball than from a light ball.

6. The bowling ball retarder as defined in claim 5,

including a layer of frictional wear-resistant material se- 4 cured over said resilient foam material.

7. A bowling ball retarding apparatus for use in conjunction with a bowling lane comprising, in combination: a pair of spaced rail means for engaging and guiding a rolling bowling ball, said pair of rail means being constructed and arranged to permit the center of a bowling ball to have differing attitudes in a vertical direction with respect to said pair of rail means; and weight responsive ball retarding means mounted below and between said rail means for at least partially supporting a bowling ball so that a ball may be guided by said rail means such that the center of a relatively lighter bowling ball will have a higher attitude with respect to said pair of rail means than the center of a relatively heavier bowling ball whereby the retarding means imposes a greater retarding effect on a heavier ball than a lighter ball.

8. A decelerator for moving bowling balls for selectively absorbing more kinetic energy from a heavy bowling ball than a light bowling ball, said decelerator comprising: a pair of ball guiding rail means spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of a bowling ball, at least one of said rail means including a ball engaging surface formed of a deformable material for frictionally engaging a ball; and weight responsive ball su port means located below and between said rail means for supporting a ball being guided by said rail means, said support means and said guiding rail means being operative to support a lighter ball at a higher position with respect to said ball engaging surface than a heavier ball whereby a heavier ball will cause a greater deformation of said material and will have a greater frictional contact therewith to have more of its kinetic energy absorbed than a lighter ball.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,545,252 3/1951 Barry 27347 2,776,528 1/1957 Niederer et al. 198165 X 3,111,316 11/1963 Congelli et al. 27349 3,206,199 9/1965 Anderson 27349 FOREIGN PATENTS 325,864 l/ 1958 Switzerland. 360,630 4/ 1962 Switzerland.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Examiner. 

4. RETURN TRACK APPARATYS FOR RETURNING A BOWLING BALL FROM THE PIT END OF A BOWLING LANE, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE TRACK FOR GUIDING AND SUPPORTING A BOWLING BALL AT ITS LOWERMOST PORTIONS; AND A COMBINED BALL RETURN RISER AND BALL RETARDER AT THE END OF SAID TRACK AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELONGATE RAILS HAVING PORTIONS FOR SUPPORTING LOWER PORTIONS OF A BOWLING BALL ALONG LATERALLY WIDER SPACED AREAS THAN SAID TRACK, AND RESISTIVE MEANS SPACED BELOW SAID RAILS INCLUDING A LAYER OF DEFORMABLE MATERIAL FOR PROVIDING FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE ON THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID BALL AND RETARDING THE PROGRESS THEREOF, SAID MATERIAL BEING ARRANGED TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORT A BOWLING BALL GUIDED BY SAID RAILS SUCH THAT THE CENTER OF A RELATIVELY LIGHTER BOWLING BALL WILL HAVE A HIGHER ATTITUDE WITH RESPECT TO SAID PAIR OF RAILS THAN THE CENTER OF A RELATIVELY HEAVIER BOWLING BALL TO THEREBY IMPOSE A GREATER RETARDING EFFECTIVE ON A HEAVIER BALL THAN A LIGHTER BALL. 